Our journal of our time together with Lili and her brothers
Page 4 - August 2004
Below you'll find some of our days together as a family
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Links to our adoption agencies:
Families thru International Adoption / Adoption by Gentle Care
August 23, 2004
Lili's birthday was the 15th of August, and a very special family from Wapak sent her a toy today that she she absolutely loves. She rides it around the office with her brothers watching her ever so closely. Yes she is a bit spoiled, and probably will be until Maggie Jo arrives sometime next Spring or Summer. We worked on adoption paperwork again this weekend. I am so glad Tracy does most of it. It seems so much easier the second time around. If you want information about adopting from China, we most highly recommend you contact FTIA. - Scott
Zoom! Zoom!
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Visiting Gracie's Grave site on her four year birthday remembrance 8/18
First Ice Cream Cone - all by herselfEarlier last week week, we visited Gracie Jo's grave site on her birthday (would have been 4 years old. Birthday 8/18/2000). It was a strange feeling to have the kids playing and replacing flags that had fallen off of the veterans graves. They are very respectful and I am sure they understand more than most children the importance of honoring those who have passed. I find peace there, but still do not feel entirely comfortable. Above are some pictures from our trip to the grave site, and then to have Lili's first ice cream cone at the local pizza shop and ice cream parlor in DeGraff. (Pizza Queen) She ate the whole thing, cone and all. She did manage to get more down the hatch, than all over her shirt, but it was a close call. When she first came with us to the States, she did not much care for cold things. My what 10 months have changed. She still loves rice though. Our family can now finish off an 18 inch pizza, with Lili eating her fair share.. I remember when a medium got us lunch the next day too! - Scott
August 22, 2004
Lili and the boys went with us to SAM'S Club over the weekend. They had a shopping cart that held two kids. Well, Nicholas decided to climb up and then Michael and Nicholas did not want to be left out of a picture! Below is the result. Lili was doing her "Cute eyes" and I snapped the picture a bit too soon. Finally, we found something else to ride with Lili. (No I didn't buy it for her) . . -Scott
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August 19 2004
LILIAN LOVED HER BIRTHDAY PARTY. She made out like a bandit too! (For our Chinese readers, that is a good thing) There is a difference with her and her brothers. They hate clothing as a gift, and she relished each new outfit. Below are some pictures of her special day. I will have more up shortly. [If you click on the images, you will get the full size image for printing]
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Learning diplomacy at a young age
(Photos: Bruce Gates, Lili's Godfather)August 9 2004
We cleaned out the garage yesterday for Lili's birthday party which will be next Sunday. Tracy said I should post this picture. -Scott
The Green Picnic Table Pose
(Each child looked at their own parent)August 7 2004
Well, my little sister has asked me once again "when will we see more of Lili on the website?" So, I had to sit down and write some more. We had a wonderful time at the FTIA Adoption Reunion Picnic near Indianapolis, IN. What a neat city. Very clean and well laid out. We had a blast seeing all the siblings of the kids we all brought home from China. There were children from many other nations as well, but the China kids were by far the largest group. Below are some pictures I took from Saturday July 24, 2004. The families on the picnic tables are the ones we traveled to China with. If anyone wants to print one of the pictures, just click on it and then right click on the image to save it to your computer. Then open it into your photo editing software. They will take a while to download if you don't have broad band access !
Sharing again with her best friend from China Meeting another China girl at the Discovery Center in Bellefontaine, Ohio (w/ Rene her Physical Therapist)
Pictures of our Travel Group
at the 2004 FTIA Reunion Picnic
I have been going up to the cabin every other weekend for the past month. Needless to say I am tired of roofing, and missing the family a bunch. I took Michael with me July 28-31st. I have a man helping me on the roof. Bill would not like being called an angel, so I won't. You know how those Northern woodsmen types are. Everything is different over the bridge. Look at the size of that Coffee Mug! We are making progress on the roof. Rain seems to like to follow me over the bridge though. The big news this week is we are definitely going to be adopting from China through FTIA again. I did our taxes this weekend and figured out we can go back. It is a challenge, but priorities are made to be accomplished. I just wish more folks could understand how they too could make a little one happy. We are filing the adoption application Monday morning. Tracy prayed and prayed we could go back. I have been working all of first and second, and some of third shift to make it happen. . . . It has not been easy. -Scott
